| Why does the
Shankaracharya, one of Hinduism's most respected spiritual leaders, dabble
in politics? Days after his
attempts to mediate in the temple-mosque row in Ayodhya collapsed, more
and more people are openly asking - just why does Shankaracharya Jayendra
Saraswati hobnob with politicians at all?
Said a young Tamil woman professional who comes from
a deeply religious Hindu family: "It is so disheartening to see the
learned Shankaracharya visibly happy in the company of VIPs. Is he
behaving like a man of religion?"
Asked an officer of Andhra Bank whose family
literally worships the 'mutt' at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu where the
Shankaracharya is based: "Why is he always seen in the company of
politicians?"
On Wednesday, former prime minister Chandra Shekhar
became the first high-profile personality to hit out at the Hindu pontiff,
accusing him of acting like a politician.
"The seer should not have got immersed in politics,"
Chandra Shekhar said, adding this was the reason why his attempts to
resolve the Ayodhya dispute ended in failure last week.
On June 6, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board
rejected a proposal by the Shankaracharya calling upon Muslims to "gift"
the site of the razed Babri mosque in Ayodhya for a Hindu temple and the
community to prepare to give up ownership of two other historic mosques -
at Varanasi and Mathura.
Muslim leaders who were initially hopeful that the
pontiff's intervention might help resolve what has become one of the most
intractable problems of independent India expressed disgust at the
approach of the pontiff.
They were also taken aback - because earlier
newspaper accounts of his "formula" indicated he had taken into account
the sensibilities of both communities and had tried to avoid contentious
issues. Hindu groups that tore down the Babri mosque are determined to
build a grand temple at the site. Muslim leaders say they are not against
the temple but want the mosque to be rebuilt too.
Once the "formula" came unstuck, Muslim leaders
accused the Shankaracharya of merely echoing a long-standing demand of
Hindu rightwing groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Predictably -- and for the first time -- the
Shankaracharya came under attack from a host of newspapers that complained
that he displayed a Hindu bias instead of being even-handed.
Indeed, just before his idea was rejected on July 6,
an opinion poll by a newsmagazine showed that more Hindus and more Muslims
were confident the pontiff might succeed where so many others have failed.
Many even said the Shankaracharya - who receives a
constant stream of high-profile politicians and is very often photographed
in the company of VIPs -- was eminently suited to be a peacemaker.
Now, many are finding fault with the seer, who heads
one of the most sacred seats of Hindu religion and is seen by his admirers
to be the 69th successor to the Adi Shankara, the pre-eminent Hindu seer
who lived about 2,500 years ago...
Although the Shankaracharya has always favoured a
temple for Hindu god Ram at the site of the destroyed Babri mosque and
although he has been always at ease in the company of groups such as VHP,
he never appeared to share their seeming religious intolerance of all
things Islam.
His own complex in Kancheepuram, a small town near
Chennai popular for silk saris, shares a wall with a 300-year-old mosque
and there has never been even a hint of a quarrel between the two.
The Shankaracharya's predecessor launched the
practice of maintaining silence when Muslims prayed at the mosque. The
practice continues. Many Muslims come to seek blessings from the
Shankaracharya.
No wonder, the Shankaracharya's failure to respect
the ordinary Muslim sentiments as he set out to find a mediated solution
to the Ayodhya has caused a lot of disappointment. Even many among his
followers admit that. |
